Goku rubbed his eyes roughly and stretched, his belly still comfortably full from the night before. Man what a meal! Chi-Chi had practically had to roll him back to their room, he'd stuffed himself so much. He patted his belly, deciding he would definitely go there again. Maybe even for breakfast? Though given how much he ate last night, he should probably keep it light. Like half his usual plate count. That ought to keep him comfortable until lunch.
He paused in his stretch and rubbed his chin.
Then again…half seemed a little too light…and they did have plans to search for information on that Zeus guy today…who knows how long that would take!
Normal amount it was then.
That settled, Goku propped himself up on his elbows, his gaze raking over the foreign room before settling on the hot tub they never tested out last night. He pouted at the sight. He'd been basically in a food coma the rest of the night but he really had intended to use it.
He really, really wanted to try it with Chi-Chi—he wanted to try it with anyone really—but doing it with Chi-Chi would make it better.
He hadn't bathed with anyone since Grandpa and it was something he missed that no one else seemed to enjoy but him. The closest he'd gotten had been with Bulma, but she'd yelled at him for trying to help, while Krillin had just flat out told him 'no'. He figured Chi-Chi, who was a stickler for covering up, would respond the same as the others, but when she'd told him multiple people enjoyed it, he couldn't help but ask if she'd join him. That she hadn't outright denied him was amazing! Even if she did wanna wear swimsuits while in it.
That was fine. He was just happy she was willing to try.
Goku sighed and rolled over to snuggle up to Chi-Chi, burying his face in her silky hair. It was still mind blowing that she had given him permission to do so. To kiss and hold her whenever he wanted. He knew that they were still "in training" but he hoped this meant that Chi-Chi would agree to marry him when this was all over.
Maybe even sooner.
The sooner the better as far as he was concerned. He'd come too close to losing her too many times already! Once before he even knew what he'd be missing!
He kissed her shoulder, breathing in her scent, thinking over all that he could have missed out on if he hadn't chased her down after the Tournament. Her warmth, her smile, her kisses. Her food! Goku chuckled to himself as he continued, thinking how he would have missed out on her kindness and fire.
Her sneakiness.
He never did pay her back for that little trick she pulled during the race. What was that again? He slipped his hand around down to her belly and pressed gently, trying to recall exactly what she'd done to him.
"That tickles," Chi-Chi grumbled, trying to roll away.
"Oh?"
Goku's fingers danced across her stomach some more.
"Goku…" she whined, pouting though he could tell she was fighting a smile. "No more."
He paused his attack but kept his fingers ready along her sides and smiled. "Whaddya gonna do to stop me?"
"Ask nicely?"
"How nicely?"
Chi-Chi turned to face him, cracking open one eye to glare at him suspiciously. "Are you askin' for a bribe?"
"Maaaaaybe."
She hummed for a moment and then leaned in close, making Goku hopeful, before a sharp pinch on his side made him yelp.
"Sorry! I don't make deals with troublemakers," Chi-Chi laughed, sticking out her tongue.
Quick as a flash, Goku reached out and snatched it before she could return it to the safety of her mouth.
"Gnoku!"
"Maybe next time you'll play ni—hey!"
Goku yanked his hand back and examined the teeth mark along his fingers. "That wasn't very nice but if that's how ya wanna play it."
He grabbed her arm and jerked her towards him, making a big production as he prepared to bite into her delicate looking wrist.
"Ah!"
Chi-Chi gasped as his teeth pressed against her skin, feeling a surge of something indescribable sweep through her. Something that made her body go all tingly, particularly where his lips touched. She blushed, more than a little tempted to ask Goku to do it again…before realizing how suggestive she had sounded.
Her eyes flew to Goku's as her cheeks turned a deep, deep red, but if she hoped that Goku didn't catch her odd reaction, his wide eyes told her otherwise.
He lowered her wrist as he studied her, taking in her flushed rosy cheeks and the way her chest rose and fell faster than normal. For some reason it made his heart pick up speed too.
"Chi-Chi?"
"I-It's nothing!" She stammered, trying to yank her arm free but Goku's iron grip wouldn't budge. "It just tickled a little!"
Oh?
Goku glanced at the wrist he held captive and then back at her before slowly raising it to his lips again, this time nibbling her gently as he watched her reaction.
Chi-Chi stiffened at the touch of his lips, feeling another heady dose of pleasure surge through her followed by a hint of panic. This…this was dangerous! She had to put a stop to this right now!
But then his lips moved a little higher, making her whimper, and Chi-Chi felt her resolve weaken. She felt like prey caught in a trap and yet she couldn't force the words from her mouth. Torn between instinct telling her to run and a desire she didn't understand, she felt like she had to do something—anything!—but what she couldn't decide.
And then Goku started nibbling up the length of her arm, sending little jolts surging through her, and she quickly forgot what she was struggling for as he yanked her into his arms and slammed his mouth over hers.
Chi-Chi moaned into his kiss and slid her hands into his hair, tugging on those adorable fluffy black locks as his hands roamed all over her backside. How could a kiss feel so good? She opened her mouth, allowing him to deepen the kiss, and wrapped one leg around his waist, wanting to feel every part of her entangled, completely immersed in him.
Goku wanted that too. Wanted to touch and taste her all over, to run his hands along her bare skin. Unfortunately every time he tried to slide his hand up her back, her pajama top would bunch at her waist, getting in the way. He would need to unbutton it but he wasn't sure Chi-Chi would let him and didn't wanna risk her putting a stop to their kisses by making her angry.
Luckily he had an idea.
He pulled away and began peppering little kisses along her neck and shoulder, feeling intoxicated by her scent, and asked roughly, "Wanna do it now?"
Chi-Chi stiffened beneath him.
"What?!"
"The tub," Goku pointed towards it with his thumb. "I was too sleepy last night but we can do it now can't we?"
He watched Chi-Chi blink and turn to stare at the hot tub before something finally seemed to click.
"O-Oh! The tub!" She stammered, more than a little relieved that was what he meant. Mood suddenly broken, Chi-Chi pushed against his chest to create some space between them so she could escape. "Let's save it for tonight. I wanna get going lookin' for clues."
Goku nodded to indicate he understood but, unlike Chi-Chi, he wasn't ready to end things just yet.
"Okay," he agreed. Time for plan number two. "Then can I see your boobies?"
"What?! No!"
"Why not?" Goku pouted. "You've seen me without a shirt plenty of times."
"Because you don't know the meaning of the word modesty!" Chi-Chi snapped. A fact that she was equally frustrated by and grateful for. She couldn't deny enjoying the sight of a bare chested Goku, she was a healthy young woman after all! But it was because she was a healthy young woman that his immodesty put her on edge. Especially now that they were on kissing terms.
She dropped her gaze to her hands and started fidgeting with her fingers. "I-It's too soon."
They still had two gods to visit. If she started allowing such liberties now, then…then…she flushed as she recalled her earlier thoughts. There was no way she'd be able to hold off until their wedding night!
Goku tugged her closer and Chi-Chi automatically placed her hands on his chest, wanting to be able to push him away if need be, and by the way he was still eyeing her she thought it more than likely.
"Well, then can I at least touch 'em?"
"Goku!"
Didn't he know that was worse?!
Chi-Chi wanted to be angry—needed to if she was to keep them from crossing any lines before they should—but Goku was looking at her as if he was a puppy she had kicked with those big round eyes of his. It was those same round eyes that slowly trailed downward and Chi-Chi followed their path to where her hands rested on his chest.
She yanked them back as if burned but knew it was too late. He may not have said anything but she knew he was calling her out.
She huffed, blowing her bangs upward as she studied him suspiciously. It would only be fair to allow him the same liberties…plus…plus it would add a sense of intimacy without putting them into too dangerous of a situation.
"Fine!" Chi-Chi muttered eventually, unable to look at him. Even if they were getting married after all this was over, she couldn't help feeling more than a little scandalous. "But only over my clothes."
"Okay!" Goku beamed. He placed one large hand on either breast and squeezed as Chi-Chi tried to not die out of embarrassment.
"Wow, these sure are soft Chi-Chi!"
Sure he had felt them before but usually he'd been asleep or just barely awake. He'd never had the time to truly appreciate them. He wished he could feel them without the material in the way but this would do for now and—
His fingers brushed across what must be her nipples and without really thinking it through he pinched them both gently between his fingers making Chi-Chi jump.
Goku blinked. That…was interesting…
He pinched them again but this time Chi-Chi was ready, merely reacting with a blush under his watchful gaze. She hadn't anticipated such an act could feel good but she wasn't about to let him get them worked up again. She put her hands over his and began to push them away.
"Okay, that's enough for no—"
"What's the matter Chi?" Goku murmured, his voice dropping low. "Dontcha like this?" He pinched her again, making her jump a second time.
"G-Goku," Chi-Chi stuttered, her words coming out as breathless as she felt. "I-I…"
A loud knock on the door interrupted whatever she was about to say.
"Room service."
Chi-Chi and Goku both jumped in surprise but Chi-Chi recovered faster, having dealt with this before. Thank goodness she forgot to put up the 'Do Not Disturb' sign!
She quickly extracted herself from Goku's arms, grabbed a robe to wrap around her and answered the door.
"Hello!"
She kept the door mostly shut, trying to block the maid's view of the room—and Goku—the best she could. Goodness knows the maid had probably seen worse but there was no reason to give the staff more gossip material! Chi-Chi took the extra set of towels with a smile and thanked the woman before shutting the door and turning straight into Goku's broad chest.
He caught her before she could fall and eyed the towels. "For the tub?"
"For the shower," she corrected, feeling like the tub was too dangerous at the moment. She shrugged off his hold and shoved a towel set into his arms, pushing him back slightly. "Speaking of, why don't you go freshen up and I'll get started on breakfast."
"Okay Chi-Chi," Goku smiled brightly, so brightly in fact that Chi-Chi almost sighed in relief, believing the danger had passed. That is until his smile morphed in a smirk. He leaned in close, placing a soft kiss against her cheek and then dragged his lips across her skin to whisper in her ear.
"Next time, you can touch me."
He disappeared into the bathroom with a wink, leaving a furious blushing Chi-Chi staring after him in shock.
o0o
What is this place?" Goku asked, looking around. There didn't seem to be anything interesting about it. No food or fun things to see. Just a boring looking building with a lot of boring looking displays.
"It's the visitor center. Touristy places tend to have one. They tell ya all about the different things to do or see. I'm hoping one of these will have information about Zhuque," Chi-Chi explained.
"Oh."
Goku glanced around, searching the room for something that might be a clue like Chi-Chi said. Most of the displays just looked like endless words that he either didn't have the patience to read or couldn't understand, not knowing all the words. There was one display though, with a model sized volcano and a small rock suspended on a pole ticking towards it, that managed to catch his eye. He padded over to take a closer look just as two kids ran past him, cutting him off. They smacked a big red button he hadn't noticed just below the set up, initiating some kind of audio recording.
"Welcome to the Southern Islands. Did you know that the Southern Islands were formed by underwater volcanoes over thousands of years ago?"
The display started to rumble as the fake water bubbled up.
"Eventually enough lava cooled above the ocean's surface to form the Southern Islands! While most of the volcanoes have gone dormant. One still remains active to this day. Can you guess which one that is?"
Goku looked to the kids for answers but they didn't seem to know either as they both remained silent.
"Correct! Ember Island's volcano, Mt. Hota, remains active to this day and last erupted roughly 300 years ago, coinciding with an asteroid that scientists believe was made entirely of crystals! What's more, this asteroid was large enough to wipe out all life on this planet!"
"Woah!" both kids whispered, exchanging wide eyed looks.
Goku didn't get what was so impressive about a big rock but he continued listening anyway.
"Legend has it that one of the four cardinal gods, Zhuque, flew down and blasted the asteroid from the sky before retreating to their home behind a barrier of fire that can only be passed through by smothering it using the crystals from the asteroid. However, we know that it was actually Mt. Hota that took out the asteroid, saving life as we know it. Though the great barrier of fire does exist, no one has been able to pass it due to extreme heats created by an opening in the earth's crust that scientists believe goes all the way down to the center of the earth! A similar fire once existed on Mt. Frypan but that fire finally died out just a few years ago. It is believed that the shifting of the tectonic plates extinguished the fi…"
Goku stopped paying attention as he processed all the voice had said. This was it! This was what Chi-Chi said they were looking for! He hurried back to her and dragged her to the display that had since been abandoned but Chi-Chi just looked at it confused.
"Was this what you wanted to show me?"
"Yeah!" Goku grinned, hitting the button to start the audio again.
"Welcome to the Southern Islands. Did you know…"
.
.
.
"Goku!" Chi-Chi smacked him several times on his shoulder, her excitement bubbling over as she continued listening to the recording. "This is it! You found it! Good job sweetheart!"
"Sweetheart?" Goku repeated, testing the word.
Chi-Chi blushed. "Yes, like honey or darlin'. It's a term of endearment, like a nickname, that couples use. Well, not just couples, but you get the idea."
"Yeah," Goku agreed, grinning. "I get it."
Like how Yamcha sometimes called Bulma 'babe' even though she wasn't a baby. So that's why he did that. It was nice to finally understand.
Goku tuned back in just as Chi-Chi started muttering to herself.
"I wonder if there's any truth to this talk about crystals though. If so, we'll need to figure that out first. But where on earth can we find them?" Chi-Chi scanned their surroundings. "Let's look around a little more and see if we can find another clue. Maybe we'll get lucky twice."
Unfortunately they were not.
Chi-Chi and Goku looked at every display in the room and the next, but if there was a mining site for crystals, the local government was keeping it hush hush. Which was fine. There were other ways to determine its location. An asteroid that big was sure to leave a crater easily spotted from above, so Chi-Chi was confident that they could find it just by reaching a high enough vantage point.
"C'mon Goku, I think we're done here."
She grabbed a map of the islands and walked outside. They'd have to go back to the hotel first and change into their swimwear before they could check out Ember Island and…huh?
Chi-Chi doubled back to a bulletin board they had just passed and inspected one of the fliers. It was an announcement for a double competition being held tomorrow. One for eating and the other for cooking! But more importantly, the grand prize for each was ten thousand zeni and—five twenty pound bags of asteroid crystals!
"Goku, Goku! This is our chance! We have ta join this competition!"
"Sure!" Goku agreed, though he had yet to read the announcement so he didn't know what she was talking about. It didn't matter, he was always willing to compete. He peeked over her shoulder hoping to see the details for himself. "What's the challenge?"
Chi-Chi smirked and looked at him with sly eyes. "Well, I don't know, do ya wanna cook? Or do you wanna eat?"
Goku blinked. An eating competition? His blank look quickly morphed into a smirk of his own. Oh man. This would be too easy.
Chi-Chi's smile grew, knowing that would please him. It certainly pleased her. She couldn't believe their luck! Tomorrow they would compete and win those crystals and then they could find Zhuque! They were so close!
"But until then…" Chi-Chi tugged on Goku's arm, suddenly realizing they had a little free time on their hands. "Let's go sightseeing!"
…
Goku was bored.
It turned out when Chi-Chi said she wanted to go "sightseeing" she actually meant "window shopping". Which was the bizarrest concept Goku had ever heard of. They were shopping—but not for windows—not for anything really, seeing as how Chi-Chi was more interested in just looking at all the stuff instead of buying anything. They went through dozens of shops and Chi-Chi oohed and aahed over so many things he lost count.
He didn't understand.
But then Chi-Chi would skip over to him and hold up a shirt or model a bracelet and ask him if he thought it looked good on her. His answer was always yes—Chi-Chi always looked good—but then she would smile all sparkly and sometimes even giggle, before checking to see that they were alone and pressing a sweet kiss to his cheek making this "window shopping" seem worth it.
Goku sighed happily after one such incident before spotting something interesting.
"Hey Chi-Chi, check me out!"
He placed an oni mask over his face and spun around with his hands up like a monster.
"Bleh!"
"How terrifying!" Chi-Chi gasped, taking a step back dramatically. "Whatever will I do? If only I had a big, strong man to rescue me!"
"No one's strong enough to stop me! You're all mine! Muahaha!" He slipped his arms around her, yanking her tight against his chest.
Chi-Chi smiled as she rolled her eyes. "Guess I'll have to do it myself."
She tickled his sides, making his grip loosen, and then twisted his arm and pinned him against the wall.
Goku blinked at the sudden reversal but before he could react, Chi-Chi rose on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear. "Looks like I'm strong enough."
Her words shot straight to his dick.
Chi-Chi smiled, sensing she'd flustered him, and pulled away, blowing him a kiss as she wandered over to the clothing section before slapping a hand to her blushing face.
She couldn't believe she had done that! Chi-Chi pre-Tournament would have never. But now? Goodness, there was something exhilarating about flirting with Goku in public. Flirting with Goku in the hotel could only lead to one thing but flirting with Goku where they were forced to behave allowed her to indulge without putting herself in a risky situation. She was liking it more than she could have ever imagined.
Although, maybe a few moments alone wouldn't be too terrible. She was having fun flirting…but the more she did, the more she wanted to pin him to a wall and kiss him breathless.
In fact…
Chi-Chi grabbed the skirt and swimsuit set she'd been eying and slipped into the changing rooms.
"Goku, would you come here a minute?"
Now?!
Goku's head snapped in her direction and then down at his pants. Phew! Looks like his little problem subsided somewhat. Chi-Chi and his friends might call him shameless but even he didn't want others to see his body reacting in weird ways. That was supposed to be just between him and Chi-Chi. Kind of. Once they were married at any rate.
He shook his head and walked over to the curtained off area Chi-Chi had disappeared behind, knocking on the frame. "Chi-Chi? Ya wanted me?"
She sure did!
Chi-Chi opened the curtain, revealing the outfit she had tried on. "What do you think?"
Goku's eyes trailed over the way the one piece clung to her chest only to widen as he made his way lower to examine the flimsy material wrapped around her legs. Her very exposed legs. Sure there was some kind of cloth over them, but it was so sheer he could see everything underneath.
"I…uh…I think something's wrong with the material Chi. It's see through."
"It's supposed to be silly, it's for the beach."
"O-Oh?"
"Mhmm, do ya like it?"
Goku gulped.
Like it? Yeah he definitely liked it…he might not know a thing about this sort of stuff…but there was something very appealing about the teasing glimpses of Chi-Chi's legs he was being shown.
"Goku?"
"Yeah," Goku nodded eventually. He tugged on the cloth, wanting to see more. "I like it."
"Good!"
Next thing he knew, Chi-Chi was tugging him into the small dressing room that was really only big enough for one person, and then she was yanking the curtain close and kissing him—hard.
Goku responded eagerly, lifting her so that she could wrap her strong legs around his waist as he ran his hands over every inch of her he could reach, practically molding Chi-Chi against him as he devoured her lips with his own. Her scent, which had been growing thicker with each kiss throughout the day, was now at intoxicating levels but Goku didn't care. He wanted to be drunk on Chi-Chi. Wanted to taste her on his tongue for as long as she would let him.
"Goku…" Chi-Chi sighed, as he kissed down her neck. "That's enough."
"Huh?"
Before he could even register what Chi-Chi was saying, she was shoving him out the room and snapping the curtain close in his face.
Goku blinked, bewildered.
"Chi-Chiiiii," he whined. "Why'd we stop?!"
He tried to pull the curtain back open but she slapped his hand away.
"We're in public Goku, we have to behave."
Behave? Behave?! Goku ran a hand through his wild hair feeling frustrated. She was the one who'd started it!
He waited with crossed arms for Chi-Chi to come out, prepared to confront her. It didn't take long. Maybe another minute. Back in her own clothes, she stepped out of the changing room and met his gaze head on.
And then she winked.
Any argument Goku had disappeared under this baffling behavior, instantly silencing him before he could utter a sound.
For some reason this made Chi-Chi giggle, and she tapped his cheek as she went past, leaving him standing in front of the changing rooms all alone.
Heh.
Goku scratched the back of his head as a smirk rose to his lips.
Maybe window shopping wasn't so bad after all.
…
Chi-Chi did eventually end up buying something. Besides his oni mask, Chi-Chi got a postcard that she planned to send a short note to her dad on, and—to Goku's great delight—the skirt she had modeled for him.
Speaking of…
"Chi-Chi," Goku murmured, pulling her aside as they exited the store. "How much longer?"
He wanted to finish what she started earlier but he knew she wouldn't let him kiss her like he wanted to as long as they were in public. The sooner they were done, the better.
Chi-Chi smiled and pressed an innocent kiss to his lips. "I'm done now. Thank you for bearing with me. How bout we get something to eat, hm?"
Food? He liked the sound of that…but that also meant more people, unless…
"The buffet?" He asked hopefully. All he could eat and close to their room. It was a win win.
Unfortunately Chi-Chi shook her head no.
"I'm afraid they're still recoverin' from last night," she giggled, tugging his hand. "C'mon, I bet we can find something on the pier. And look! They even have a ferris wheel!"
"Huh? What's a ferris wheel?"
"I'll show you!"
Chi-Chi hurried them to the giant circle contraption—stopping only long enough to buy out all the steamed buns available from a shop they passed along the way—before dragging him onto an enclosed box that wobbled as it moved.
Goku popped a steam bun into his mouth.
"Hut's da foin uh dis fi-fi?"
"Goku," Chi-Chi chided, "Don't talk with your mouth full. You could choke! And the point is to get to the top and take in the view. Couples do this all the time, it's romantic!"
She sighed and leaned against his arm not loaded with steamed buns as Goku perked up at her words.
Romantic? He knew what that meant!...sort of. But…
He looked around the small enclosure. Was this really romantic? "We can see this view from Nimbus whenever we want."
And without anything blocking their sight.
Chi-Chi nodded, unable to disagree. "That's true but normal couples can't. So they sneak away into one of these carriages for a little alone time."
Alone time?!
Goku sat up straighter and studied the couples in the other compartments acting cozy with one another. Chi-Chi was right, this was romantic! He shoved another steam bun into his mouth, quickly followed by another and another, practically scarfing them down while Chi-Chi continued to gaze out at the view, studying the volcano in the distance on what had to be Ember Island.
"Ya know, it's hard to believe after how things ended at the Tournament that we'd be here together like this now."
"We almost weren't," Goku pointed out, swallowing another bun. "You tried to get rid of me."
Chi-Chi pulled away with a pout. "I was embarrassed! I made such a spectacle of myself, thinkin' ya understood what you promised only to find out ya didn't! And in front of all those people!"
She pressed her hands to her face, embarrassed all over again as she thought of that horrible moment in the arena.
"But there was no one around when I asked ya to give me another chance," Goku argued, frowning. She was always so eager to get rid of him. He didn't like it. He wanted her to want him around always.
He swallowed another bun.
"Well no," Chi-Chi agreed, lowering her hands to look at him uneasily. "But it was important to me you wanted to keep your promise because you lo…because you liked me, not because of a promise."
Goku swallowed the last of his buns and slipped an arm around Chi-Chi's waist, tugging her into his lap.
"Goku! What are you doing?!"
"Provin' it to ya!"
What? Chi-Chi's eyes widened. Here?! Now?!
"But! But people can still see us from the other carts!"
He laid back across the seat, dragging her down with him. "There, how's that?"
"How's what?!" Chi-Chi growled, struggling to sit up but Goku flipped them so that she was underneath.
"Careful. Wouldn't want anyone to see us," he warned, making Chi-Chi flush.
"B-But…" Her gaze darted to the other compartments where couples seemed engaged in similar behavior, though not to this degree. "Is this really allowed?"
"Sure! Ya said so yourself," Goku grinned. "It's romantic."
He was smiling at her so warmly that Chi-Chi felt any further protests die on her lips as Goku swooped down and kissed her. And oh, what a kiss! Goku must have been getting revenge for all the teasing she did earlier because he didn't waste any time, sweeping his tongue into her mouth and stealing her breath away as his arms snaked their way around her.
Chi-Chi moaned, as he ravished her with kisses, feeling every part of her come alive as she dug her fingers into his fluffy black hair. He was everywhere, her lips, her ear, her neck. Chi-Chi wanted to return the favor but then he was sucking right where her shoulder met her neck and she became insensible to any of her senses but the feel of lips. And then he was grabbing her breasts, lifting the hem of her shirt, exposing her stomach to the cool air but Chi-Chi didn't care. She just didn't want him to stop. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he ground his hips against hers and pressed something solid and hard between them…making her pause.
What was that? Could he have gained his tail back?
Chi-Chi pushed Goku away, confused, and looked down to where their hips met just as the ride came to a hard stop.
"Step right off and make your way to the right," she heard a voice say below them before they lowered another few feet and stopped again. "Exit's to the right, just there, thank you!"
Chi-Chi sat up in alarm.
Oh no! That had to be the operator! The ride was ending!
She hastily pushed Goku into a sitting position and started straightening their clothes. Thankfully Goku didn't fight her on this, and they finished right as their turn came to disembark.
The operator opened the door revealing the young couple looking highly suspicious with their overly neat appearance and rosy red cheeks. He rolled his eyes and chuckled, having seen the likes plenty of times before.
"Have a good evening folks."
"You too!" Goku grinned, putting his hands behind his head as he started up a whistle.
Chi-Chi looked away with a blush. Maybe flirting with Goku in public wasn't so safe after all.
o0o
"Chi-Chiiiiii, I'm hungry!" Goku whined, as she marched them past all the stalls to a large white tent where all sorts of kitchen equipment was being set up.
Chi-Chi sighed, growing annoyed. It was the twelfth time he had complained since they'd left the hotel that morning.
"You had two fish for breakfast," she chided, scanning their surroundings in hopes of locating the sign up area. She spotted a promising looking line and grabbed Goku's hand, dragging him to the next available spot in line. "Besides, you need to save room for the competition. We gotta win!"
"Aw c'mon Chi-Chi, those fish were small! And ya know no one can match my stomach."
He patted his belly to emphasize his point and pouted at how hollow it sounded. Chi-Chi was so mean, makin' him starve to death like this.
Chi-Chi gave his hand a quick squeeze. "I know you're hungry but it won't be too much longer, I promise. I'll even make it up to ya later if ya want."
"Really?" Goku smiled. He liked the sound of that. "How?"
"I'll make ya whatever you want to eat, just name it."
His gaze dropped to her lips as he thought about what he'd like to taste most. Goku raised a hand to her face and rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip.
"And if I wanna taste it right now?"
Chi-Chi blushed, taking a step back, but her hand was still in Goku's and he wasn't letting her get away so easily.
"Goku," Chi-Chi frowned, trying to sound stern, though the way her scent sweetened gave her true feelings away. "We're in public. You'll have to wait for that too."
Goku smirked. Chi-Chi said such things were for when they were alone but he was starting to learn that if he teased her just enough, they'd be alone sooner than later.
He leaned in close with a grin. "But Chi-Chi, I'm hungry."
If Chi-Chi had been red before, she was practically a tomato now! The way his dark eyes were twinkling with sinful promise…and they had hardly done anything more than some heavy make out sessions! What would he be like after they finally did the deed?
"B-Behave!" she stuttered, tugging at her captured hand again. This time Goku allowed her to slip out his grasp, the glee he felt from flustering her almost enough to distract him from how hungry he was.
Almost.
His stomach roared as the line moved forward.
"Chi-Chiiiiii….."
…
Chi-Chi finished tying her apron around her waist and smiled at the little girl, Susu, who was to be her assistant for the day, fetching her ingredients as she needed them.
"Are you ready, Susu?"
Susu straightened to her full height, her little fists in the air. "Yes ma'am!"
"You sure?" Chi-Chi questioned, eying the pigtailed girl doubtfully. "I'm not like these other cooks. I can cook a full course meal for fifty without breakin' a sweat. Ya have to have a lot of stamina to keep up."
"I can do it! I'm tougher than any of the boys! Even Daiki! Just ask 'em!"
Chi-Chi smiled, admiring the adorable girl's determination. "Alright then. I'm countin' on you."
"Yes ma'am!"
"Welcome chefs!" greeted a friendly looking older woman wearing a judge's sash. "As you know, this competition is being held simultaneously with the eating competition on the other side of this tent. We're asking all our competitors to make as many dishes as they can within the next four hours to fill those hungry stomachs. While the eating competitors will get the majority of the food, our judges here will be sampling your dishes so that we can grade you on quality, difficulty of the dish and, most importantly, quantity. The cook who can create the most four stars or higher dishes will be crowned the winner of this year's competition.
So it needed to be quick but difficult to make? Chi-Chi went over a list in her head as she thought of what could fit that description. Scallops, sauces, steaks…
"Alright cooks, you can begin in three…two… one…"
A buzzer went off starting the competition.
"C'mon Susu!"
Chi-Chi darted over to the freezers, grabbing a basket, and started piling up all the meat she needed while directing her assistant on what veggies to grab. She dumped the ingredients back at her station and hurried to the pantry, grabbing spices and oils and everything else she could think of to whip up a meal to feed a small army.
She popped a fifty pound bag of rice on her shoulder, grabbed the baskets of potatoes and turnips Susu had gathered so far, and headed back to her station. It was time to start cooking.
…
Goku sniffed the air, his mouth watering at the many scents coming from somewhere behind him. He hoped he got to eat something soon. His stomach was ready to crawl its way under the divider and help himself to something tasty already!
"Hello contestants!" greeted an older looking man wearing a sash. "Your cooking counterparts have already started their competition as I'm sure you can smell." He laughed, taking a deep whiff himself before continuing. "And I must say, they certainly seem to be outdoing themselves this year. But don't worry, your turn will come soon enough. Our judges will weigh each individual plate before handing it over to one of you lucky contestants. The rules are simple. The one who can eat the most food wins. Ah! And here comes the first dishes now."
Twenty servers emerged from the white tent each holding two plates a piece, ready to serve the hungry competitors.
Goku licked his lips, bouncing slightly in his seat as he watched the plates get weighed and marked before being placed before him and the other competitors.
"Begin!"
He didn't need to be told twice!
Goku lifted the plate to his mouth, some egg veggie dish that looked a little burnt, and tilted his head back, sliding the whole thing down his throat in one bite. He swallowed and hit the bell, requesting another.
"More please!"
The audience and his fellow competitors all froze, turning to look at him in shock. How could he have eaten a whole dish already?
"Hm?"
Goku looked around, noticing everyone's stares, and laughed uneasily. What was everyone looking at him for? Did he do something wrong? No one was saying anything though, so it must not be anything bad.
He hit the bell again.
They could stare all they wanted, as long as they brought him another plate. He was starving!
The sound of the second bell seemed to snap everyone out of it and one waiter finally had enough presence of mind to run and bring him a second serving.
Half way down the table a man half the size of the Ox King glared at the scrawny spiky haired man, disgusted beyond belief. Like he'd lose to that twig! He knocked his plate back in two bites and hit the bell—right as the pipsqueak hit his bell again. Damn it!
The large man snatched the plate from the waiter, shoving half the contents in his mouth and hit his bell again.
"I'm sorry contestant number four, but your plate must be completely clean before we can serve you another!"
The large man growled and shoved the rest in his mouth just as another bell went off.
Fucking twig!
"Hurry it up!" he snapped at the waiter running towards him. He wouldn't lose to this punk!
…
Chi-Chi chopped a mile a minute, blazing her way through the produce, as Susu ran to get more, before swinging around to flip the steaks, stir the rice, fold the eggs and whip the sauce. A buzzer went off and Chi-Chi materialized in front of the ovens, yanking out several baked potatoes as well as a rack of ribs. She plated them quickly, signaled for the waiters, and then threw some more food on the baking sheet before popping them back in the oven.
And then it was back to the stove top, stirring the sauce, flipping the fried rice, folding the eggs again, removing the steaks while simultaneously replacing them with more, plating and mixing and cutting and chopping...
The judges watched Chi-Chi fly around her station like a miniature tornado, but instead of leaving destruction, she left only delicious looking food in her wake.
One judge had commandeered a dish, popping the tender looking morsel in their mouth, only to moan at how tender and juicy the meat was. They tried the rice next and then the cabbage dish, mixed with the turnips just so…and there was even a custard! And…
"Don't forget to score them Paru," smiled the female judge as she took a bite off the plate herself. "My! This is delicious! And at the speed she's going…if she can keep this up, I'd say we have a clear winner on our hands."
"Right you are, Meri," responded Paru as he took another bite before scribbling something down on his scorepad. However, while this woman was clearly the favorite to win, there were still others to assess.
Paru held out an arm to his fellow judge. "Shall we?"
"We shall," Meri nodded, taking his arm as they continued on.
Chi-Chi finished a dozen more plates and out they went to the other side of the tent flap, where Goku eagerly awaited them all. Two of the competitors had already bowed out, unable to handle more than a pound of food a piece, and as Goku rang for his nineteenth plate, a third dropped out at a measly pound and a half.
Goku didn't care though. Not when he could smell what was coming his way. It smelled like…he took a deep whiff, analyzing the scent. That perfect combination of spicy, savory and sweet…
This had to be from Chi-Chi!
He reached out over the table—as far as he could stretch—snatching several bites off the plate before the waiter could even place it in front of him. He rolled the morsels over his tongue a little longer than he had the others, and swallowed with a grin. No doubt about it! Nothing tasted as good as Chi-Chi's food. He hit his bell for another plate, noting all the identical dishes waiting to be served. Had Chi-Chi made all of those?
Someone else's bell went off and Goku watched as one of those identical dishes went to another competitor.
Hey! That guy was getting Chi-Chi's cooking! Goku couldn't allow that.
He swallowed his food and smacked his bell, calling for another plate, prompting a waiter to run over with two more. Goku gobbled down one, hit the bell and then snatched and gobbled down the other, not even taking time to chew. He smacked his bell again forcing another waiter to run—two plates in hand—to serve him more food.
"HEY!" Growled contestant number four, wiping the sauce from his mouth when his arm. "How come he's gettin' two?!"
Goku emptied all the air in his lungs and then took a deep breath, vacuuming up all the food from both plates before the waiter even set them down. As soon as he finished swallowing he flashed a peace sign and a cheeky grin to the furious man before hitting the bell two more times.
"Keep 'em comin'!"
The plates, and contestant four's curses, never stopped until the buzzer rang ending the competition.
…
"They have to be some sort of monsters! Did you see how much he ate?!"
"Did you see how much she cooked?!"
"What kind of fre—"
"Thank you again, Susu, for assisting me today," Chi-Chi smiled, giving the little girl a hug as the crowd gawked at her and Goku, who was watching the pair with a smile.
"Yeah thanks!" Goku grinned, squatting down so he was eye level with Susu. "Because of you I got to eat lots of yummy food! You and Chi made a great team."
He raised a hand for a high five that the girl happily gave as a kind looking woman stepped forward, catching both Chi-Chi's and Susu's attention.
"Susu! It's time to go!"
"Is that your mother?" Chi-Chi asked, rising to her feet and walking to meet her, leaving Goku to carry their prizes.
Susu nodded and threw herself in her mother's arms with a smile. "Mama! Did you see me? Did ya see how hard I worked?"
"I sure did!" Susu's mother brushed the hair from her daughter's face. "You must be tuckered out. None of the other kids who volunteered to help out moved half as much as you did."
"That's cause the other kids are weak!"
"Susu!" The mother scolded, making Chi-Chi smile.
Hopefully someday soon that would be her and her child. She could just imagine a little Goku behaving just as impishly.
Chi-Chi stepped forward and bowed slightly in greeting.
"Hello, I just wanted to say that Susu was a big help to me today. I couldn't have done it without her. In fact, I think she earned this more than I did."
She handed over the small envelope, filled with the prize money, much to the woman's shock.
"Oh no, we couldn't! This is yours. The kids volunteer every year for school credit, they don't do it for money!"
"I insist." Chi-Chi smiled, folding the other woman's hand around the envelope. "You can save it for her future education."
"That's very generous of you. Thank you."
"Of course! Besides, I still have half of the prize," Chi-Chi joked, pointing her thumb over to where Goku was carefully balancing 10 large bags of asteroid crystals as he made his way towards them. But the mother just frowned, confused.
"You mean the salt? Is it that valuable where you're from?"
"Salt?" Chi-Chi blinked. The asteroid crystals were just salt? "Ah well…you saw how much Goku can eat. We go through our supplies pretty quickly."
"I suppose that's true," the mother laughed. "Say goodbye Susu."
"Goodbye Miss Chi-Chi!"
"Goodbye Susu!"
Goku and Chi-Chi waved for a bit, watching the mother and daughter wander off before finally looking back down at the ten bags of "asteroid crystals".
"Ya really think this is the crystal we're looking for?" Chi-Chi asked doubtfully, picking the bag up to inspect it at eye level.
Goku peeked over her shoulder to get a better look himself. He knew thanks to Chi-Chi that an asteroid was a giant rock from space but that was still as far as his knowledge went. If that asteroid had been made up of salt was anyone's guess but there was only one way to find out!
"C'mon! Let's go test it out!"
It took a little bit of logistical work, since they needed to get from Junrei to Ember Island with ten bags of salt, but once they managed that much it was easy to find the ring of fire. The volcano was visible from every spot on the island and the heat seemed to crank up a degree every few feet as they drew closer to where it blazed.
By the time they arrived at the actual wall of fire, both of them were sweating. Even Goku was struggling, though his body seemed able to handle extreme temperatures better than most. He'd stripped down to his swim shorts while Chi-Chi, who had already been dressed for the hotter weather, reworked her ponytail, tying it up higher to get it off of her neck. He eyed her movements appreciatively, before returning his focus to the fire.
If this was anything like the one back on Mt. Frypan, then there'd be no flying over it. Still, it was worth a shot.
"Nimbus!"
The little cloud zipped around the volcano and to their side but didn't stop as Goku hopped on and circled back around to the flames. Just like he expected, the split second before he flew above it, the fire burst up, blocking his way, and sending him retreating back to where Chi-Chi waited.
"No good. Guess I'll try the crystals next," he told her, snatching up a couple of bags.
Goku zoomed back up to where he'd been, just shy of being directly overhead, and ripped both bags open before proceeding to dump it all over the flames.
Smoke rose up, so thick they almost couldn't see…but when it finally cleared the fire was still there.
"It didn't work!" Chi-Chi cried, staring in disbelief.
What on earth would they do now?